Snooper's Charter doesn't matter - it's already here

The general UK public does not like Snooper's Charter and are mostly against it, but what they don't understand is that the current laws already enable the government to do many of the things listed in the draft bill.

This is according to security organisation Venafi, who says that right now, law enforcement has the power to break encryption and encroach on privacy - key points of the Snooper's Charter.

The majority of UK citizens don't trust the government with their data, and suspect it abuses its powers. Also, a vast majority worries Snooper's Charter (or Investigatory Powers Bill) will only increase government power to gain access to what should be restricted content. They also believe even such powers would be abused.

Despite all of that, the UK public still believes its country protects citizens' data better than the US does, even though the opposite is true.

„If UK law enforcement had taken action against Apple, just like they could any UK business, Apple could have been forced to turn over its keys without the prior approval of a judge and Tim Cook could have been locked up in jail if he’d not complied,“ the company said in a press release.

Governments can force individuals to provide access to data without making an application to a judge. Companies, or individuals, can be isolated, and can be subject to criminal proceedings for non-compliance. The punishment is up to three years in prison.